TUCSON, Ariz. (Mar. 10, 2021) — FC Tucson announced today that the club has signed former Portland Timbers 2 forward Giovanni Calixtro, pending league and federation approval.
“Giovanni is a young, talented goal scorer that I have watched all throughout his time within the Portland Timbers system,” said FC Tucson Head Coach John Galas. “We believe that he is an ambitious young man who is poised to have a strong showing in USL League One and will make an immediate impact. Most importantly, he’s a proven professional who has logged over 3000 minutes in the USL Championship at just 20-years-old. We are thrilled to welcome him to Tucson.”
Calixtro brings four years of USL Championship experience to FC Tucson by way of his time with Portland Timbers 2. The Cornelius, Oregon native made his professional debut at 16-years-old for the Portland Timbers 2 on June 11, 2017, against Real Monarchs. The forward made a total of 55 appearances for the Portland Timbers reserve side from 2017-2020, logging a total of 3,463 minutes, scoring nine goals and tallying five assists. Calixtro is the youngest player in T2 history to score two goals in a game (18 years, 9 months, 3 days), registering a brace on March 30, 2019, against LA Galaxy II.
“I’m very thankful for the opportunity to play and be a part of this great club, and a growing organization in FC Tucson,” said Giovanni Calixtro. “My goal is to help this team win a USL League One Championship. I can’t wait to get on the field and showcase my talent and hopefully bring the fans a lot of great moments.”
The 20-year-old was a member of the Westside Timbers before joining the Portland Timbers youth academy in 2015. Calixtro made a total of 105 appearances for the academy from 2015-2018, scoring 40 goals in U.S. Soccer Development Academy play.
With the addition of Calixtro, FC Tucson’s roster currently stands at 20 players with more players to be announced ahead of the 2021 USL League One season.
Giovanni Calixtro
Country: USA
Born: June 27, 2000 (20)
Position: Forward
Height: 5 ft 11
Weight: 165 lbs
Previous Club: Portland Timbers 2
